Roomy zipped bag

Finished bag

 

For each bag, you will need: 1 piece of mid to heavy weight fabric 48" x 28", 2 pieces of 1-1,5" strapping 36-42" (Or make your own with 3" strip of fabric folded in half & serged) & 1 zipper 28-32" (or 2 14-16"zippers if you prefer the bag to open from the middle) Feel free to use your own dimensions, of course.

 

Cut 2.5" squares from the corners of your fabric, make darts & finish edges with serger or zigzag.

Mark on right side of fabric 4" from top & 8" from each dart. 

 

 

Mark strap 9" to each side of center. Match marks on strap with marks on bag. Pin. Zigzag end of strap & sew one side to mark. Sew a square figure 8 & down the other side. Repeat on other side of strap.

Repeat for 2nd strap.

 

With right sides together, center the zipper on the top & pin. (You will go past the dart.) sew

Fold zipper back & top stitch next to zipper. with zipper open, repeat on other side. 

With right sides together, sew side seams from top to bottom fold.  

Fold the base so that side seam is over the center bottom, Mark 4" from point on each side, draw a line across & sew.on the line.

Turn right side out & you are done.

 

                                                                   

 

Fabric needle packets

 I came up with these when I wanted to mail some needles to my friends.

I have made 2 sizes,  1 for regular needles & 1 for long darner or beading needles. You will need 2 pieces of quilt weight fabric approx 8" square, 1 piece of 2 sided fusible stabilizer 7.5" square, & 1 piece of felt 2.5" x2.5" for regular size or 2" X 4" for long needles.

Step 1 fuse your stabilizer between the 2 pieces of fabric.

Step 2 trace your pattern onto the fabric that you want to use for the outside of your packet.

 

Step 3 Satin stitch following drawn line.                                                                                                 

Step 4 Trim fabric 1/16 to 1/8" from the edge of your satin stitching.                                            

 

Step 5 Fold the side flaps in just outside of the edge of the end flaps & topstitch close to the fold.

Step 6 Optional. sew the felt to the inside of the top flap.                                                                       . Step 7 Fold & topstitch the top & bottom flaps. then tuck the felt under the flaps.                                   

                                                          

 

 

Finish with a good steam press. You can add a fastener if you like, but between the topstitching & the steam press, it will stay closed without one.                                                                                                 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

streamlined pleated face masks with pockets

This is how I make lots of face masks fast. using a serger & straight stitch sewing machine. A zigzag could be substituted for the serging. I've made over 1500 in 4 months. I start with about 3 yards &  rip into 13" X 3 yards. I serge both long edges. (If your fabric has nice selvedges, you can skip serging the selvedge edge.) I then rotary cut the strips into 9" segments. With the serged edges at top & bottom, fold the top down about an inch & the bottom up to almost the top fold & press. Gently bend both ends of a 6" piece of wire & tuck into the top fold. Sew around wire. to keep in position.

Serge both edges. Don't you love my variegated thread?-special buy from a thrift store.

Make 2 pleats, tucking the ends of an 8" piece of 1/4" elastic about 1/2" into the folds.

Sew down pleats, back tacking over elastic.                                                                                           

If you're going to put them in a container for people to take, place each mask in an individual plastic bag to avoid possible cross contamination of the masks from asymptomatic people. I've been leaving them in a bag hanging under my mailbox for local people to take. The ones that I have given to a local  hospital (150, so far) have not been bagged.

My easy catnip mousies

I use recycled felted wool fabric from yard sale or thrift store purchases. I wash them in hot water & dry them in the dryer to make sure that they have felted. I then cut them into 2.5" strips. With 2 strips held wrong sides together, I freehand cut shapes like this:

 

Leaving the pairs of mousies together, I insert a piece of rickrack about 4" long & sew the curved side. I usually make several dozen up to this point& then,without turning, I put 6-10 pellets in & sew the straight edge. Finished product:

                                                                                     

Chicken & slippery dumplings

Chicken with slippery dumplings 4-8 servings

(depending on how hungry you are.)
4 Chicken leg quarters (or equivalent)
3 ribs celery
1/2 lb carrots in bite sized pieces
1 med-large onion cut up
2 qt water
1/2t tumeric
salt & pepper

Cook in pressure cooker for 20 min or boil for 1 hour. Let cool & remove bones & skin. Skim some fat if desired.

For dumplings:

3c flour
1.5t baking powder
1t salt
2 eggs
Chicken broth

Put dry ingredients in food processer & give it a whirl. Add eggs & enough chicken broth to make a non sticky dough. Knead a bit & then use a pasta machine to roll it to # 5. dusting with flour as you go. Cut into approx 2" squares. I usually do them a little ahead & refrigerate with waxed paper between each layer. Freeze half for later. Dump them into boiling Chicken & stock & cook until they are almost done. Thicken broth & serve. When cooking the frozen ones, do not thaw.

Easter skunk

The Easter Skunk.

Fruited bread pudding

I came up with a new recipe tonight. It got rave reviews:

Fruited bread pudding

mix 1.5c milk
3 eggs
1t vanilla
5 pkts truvia-or your favorite sweetener
pour over 6 slices of cubed Pepperidge farm blueberry swirl bread (Or cinnamon bread)
Let bread soak 10-15 min add fruit-I used about 2/3 c black raspberries, 2/3c blueberries & 1 diced peach. Bake at 325 for about 45 min.

old pic When it was new

Kracken Foreplay tentacle tickle

I don't always name my pieces, but as I was doing this one, 2 names jumped into my brain- "Kracken Foreplay" & "Tentacle Tickle".

Zentangle revalation-you don't have to use every color in the box

2 new tangles. The first has too many colors for my tastes, so for the second, I limited myself to 4 colors-red, blue, black & metallic gold. I like it much better.